Safety lowering device for use as a fire escape



A. LAWSON Sept. 21, 1948.

SAFETY LOWERING DEVICE FOR USE AS A FIRE ESCAPE Filed March 12, 1947 2Sheets-Sheet 1- IN VENTOR.

ANNA LAWSON ATLI'I'JRN EYS Sept, 21, 1948.. A. LAWSON 1 2,449,813

SAFETY LOWERING DEVICE FOR USE AS A FIRE ESCAPE Filed March 12, 1947 2Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR. I

ANNA LAWSON Patented Sept. 21, 1948 SAFETY LOWERING DEVICE FOR USE AS AFIRE ESCAPE.

Anna Lawson, Detroit, Mich.

Application March 12, 1947, Serial No. 734,129

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a device for escaping from high buildings incase of fire.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which canbe attached to the person and which will release an inflated balloonwhen a trip device is actuated to open the valve of a helium tankwhereby a person can jump from a window with safety.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a fire escapedevice which can be attached to the person, of simple construction,inexpensive to manufacture and efiicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is anelevational view of the device after the bag has been inflated andshowing the device attached to the person and as the person would appeardangling from the balloon and suspended in air,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the device which is in a locked conditionand before the same has been placed on the back of the prospective userand before the bag has been inflated,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the valve levers in theirreleased condition and. the locked parts separated from the retainingpart of the lock.

Referring now to the figures, l represents a tank filled with helium orother light gas under pressure. On the top of the tank is a valvefitting l l adapted to be operated by valve levers l2 and I3. When thesevalve levers are extended upwardly in the position shown in Fig. 2 thevalve II is closed. These levers are retained in their raised positionby locked parts l4 engaging with a fixed member I 5 on a bag It. A tripcord l'l extends through a bracket 18 on one end of tank H) and has aring I!) thereon through which the finger can be extended to pull thecord. The cord is attached to a trigger 2| and as the cord is pulledthis trigger is released from lock l5. Thereafter the levers I2 areforced down and helium will be delivered through a tube 22 to the bag Itto inflate the same. The upper ends of the levers l2 and I3 are providedwith a ring formation 23 to which fireproof nylon cords or shroud lines'24 are attached. The cord I1 is pulled after the person's arms havebeen extended through arm straps 25 and belt 26 has been adjusted aboutthe waist of the person. The person will sit on the window ledge andpull the cord and after the bag I6 has been inflated he may jump fromthe window. on doing so the weight will cause the valve levers 12 to bedrawn upwardly whereby to close the valve II and stop the flow of heliumgas to the bag.

Thus the device could again be put into use without a refill of thehelium in tank 10.

Adjustable straps 21 are connected between the arm straps 25 and thebelt 26. These straps having hook 28 adapted to be connected to a ring29 in the arm strap. The straps are adjustable in length through abuckle 3|. Thelower ends of the straps have loops 33 by which they canbe attached to a transverse member 34 for connecting them togetherwhereby to form the belt portion 26.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction it shall beunderstood thatsuch changes shall be in the spirit and scope of thepresent invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A device of the character described comprising a tank filled with lightgas under pressure, a. valve fitting on the top of the tank, twooperating levers pivoted to the valve fitting to open and close thesame, a bag connected by a tube with the valve fitting and adapted to befilled with the light gas as the same is delivered through the tube tothe bag, lock means for connecting the valve levers together to maintainthe valve closed, trip means for releasing the lock means and the leverswhereby the levers may assume a, position to open the valves, shroudlines connected between the valve levers and the bag whereby the valvelevers will be pulled upwardly to their closed positions when the baghas been inflated and weight is transmitted to the bag, and a harnessfor attaching the tank to the body of the person who is to effect anescape.

ANNA LAWSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,322,806 Marshall Nov. 25, 19191,572,889 Degen Feb. 16, 1936

